Mark B 2 wrote:Why do I think that kickstarters have been banned on bikes over a certain size?

I don't know about banned, I think it's cost. Most people want to simply push a button. A lever is cost, the internal mechanism is cost, so if only a handful of people would ever use it, why include it?

Mark B 2 wrote:Why do I think that kickstarters have been banned on bikes over a certain size?

I don't know about banned, I think it's cost. Most people want to simply push a button. A lever is cost, the internal mechanism is cost, so if only a handful of people would ever use it, why include it?

That, and I suspect there is a sense among designers that including the kickstart now signals to the potential customer that it is necessary and the overall product is in some way inferior for that fact. Completely out of my sensibilities.

There is also the complication of EFI. While EFI can function with a kick start, you have to turn it over a few times to prime the system, and that's not a 250 thumper. Not so easy, I'd imagine.

Its a long walk through the city in the rain, its a long walk from train to train.

normratscoots wrote:There is also the complication of EFI. While EFI can function with a kick start, you have to turn it over a few times to prime the system, and that's not a 250 thumper. Not so easy, I'd imagine.

The CRF450R I ride on occasion is has EFI, It'll go on the first kick if it wants to. (It rarely wants to as is the attitude of most modern four-stroke dirt bikes, carb or EFI.)

There has been a lot of discussion on the yahoo W650 forum about the W800.....and it doesn't appear destined for the US market at this time.

As mentioned, kickstarts don't work as well on EFI bikes as they do on carb bikes, so the inclusion of EFI/kickstart on the same bike is rare indeed......even the Suzuki TU250 and Scarabeo DiTech50 don't have kickstarts

Most W650 owners don't seem to think the W800 will offer any advantage over the previous (2000-2001 for US market) W650, and are primarily designed as a means of meeting Euro3 and other International emission standards.....but a continuation of this basic bike is indeed welcome news!!

Like the GB500 Honda and SR500 Yamaha, the dubyas have become cult bikes.